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Making a character in a book seem realistic and interesting is no easy task. It’s not down to just your skills as a writer, though. You actually have to know a bit about who you’re writing about. In other words—do your research. Unfortunately, some male writers out there seem to have major problems writing female characters and seem shy about asking their female friends for advice.

The ‘Men Write Women’ page on X (former Twitter) documents these scary and cringe-worthy examples of men writing about women without having any idea about them or their anatomy. The project was started back in 2019 when Meghan Vondriska launched her version of the ‘Men Writing Women’ Reddit community. Now, the ‘Men Write Women’ X page has over 69k followers, and there are over 2k fans who follow their Instagram page.

“Women just want to be written as human. That’s it. There isn't some wild scientific equation to writing women, and it isn't difficult. Write them as human, with complex feelings, not as body parts that happen to be put together into a feminine form,” Vondriska told Bored Panda.

Let’s take a look at these examples of how men write women and see what Vondriska has to say about this annoying depiction.

More info: MegVondriska.com

#1

This Is The Best One Yet

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow. so many weird misogynistic stereotypes here. Does this person also believe our wombs detach, fly about our bodies and make us crazy once a month?

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#2

We Don’t Get Real Pockets In Pants Because We Have Tiny Purses In Our Vaginas!!! (Stuart Woods, Desperate Measures)

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is horrifying. Has this man ever seen a vagina? I could not imagine jamming credit cards up it.

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#3

"3 And A Half Milliboobs Per Handful"

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Daria Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The picture on the right is quite accurate and can apply to this whole post 😳

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What Does it Mean When a Woman is Written by a Man?

At times, male authors depict female characters as sexualized, unrealistic beings who are mere accessories that meet the desires of these authors. Men portraying women in this manner is called the male gaze. The male gaze or a woman written by a man tends to focus on the body rather than the character itself. When women are objectified without giving them a voice in the story, it’s typically said that the woman is written by a man.

#4

Yes, Men Would Be Amaaazing At Handling Pregnancy - Evolution Really Screwed This One Up. Bonus Points For “No Woman Gets Raped Unless She’s Looking For It.”

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RaroaRaroa
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oo. This writer does not like the look of pregnant women, so has decided that women must hate it - you know, because he hates it and they surely all want to appeal to him because he's so awesome.

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#5

Well Damn, Where Are All My Kids Then??

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh someone needs to tell this person men also get stretch marks and they are not ll from having kids. weightloss or gain does it too

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#6

Let's Not Forget This Gem Either

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Stephanie Did It
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just imagine the reverse: "every hair in my beard becoming a tiny penis"

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Women Written by Men: What Does Vondriska Say?

“I’m an avid reader, but the straw that broke the camel’s back was a novel my boyfriend lent me, where the female character was described by her breasts, and the male character was described by his personality.”

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“Working in advertising, I tend to be Very Online, so taking my anger to Twitter seemed like a natural parallel. I was familiar with the Men Writing Women subreddit, but created a Twitter account in order to craft a consistent narrative and to build a community that wasn’t hidden behind anonymity,” Vondriska revealed what inspired her to create ‘Men Write Women.’

Vondriska, from Wisconsin, devours 3 to 5 books each week. (Meanwhile, our piles of started-but-unfinished books keep on growing.) According to her, a lot of male writers who tend to be thought of as the “founders of the literary canon” are continuous offenders. “John Updike, for instance. But the greatest repeat offender is definitely Stephen King. His portrayal of his female characters is honestly offensive,” Vondriska said.

#7

Ugly Women Without Good Personalities Should Kill Themselves [rivers Of London By Ben Aaronovitch]

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#8

This Made My Breasts Frown

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Rowlie
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lately my breasts only cry and sigh deeply. I miss all the smiling

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#9

That's Not How Any Of This Works

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Male Authors Writing About Women Actually Well

However, it isn't all doom and gloom in the literary world. There are male writers who can write women well, too. “Terry Pratchett is wonderful, and I’ve yet to see a submission from Michael Crichton,” Vondriska shared that she, like many of us, is a Pratchett fan. Vondriska also pointed out that, in her opinion, the best writers are well-read. So, she encouraged all of us to read more and (most importantly) read more widely.

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“Pay attention to what you’re reading and who you’re reading. You have to make sure your bookshelf isn't made up of just men. Add in some spice—some female authors, some nonbinary authors, or authors of color. And lastly, just because you were assigned a book in high school doesn't mean it’s good!”

#10

Unsurprisingly, The Book's Terrible Writing From A "Proclaimed" Writer Does Not End Here (The Wedding Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides)

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Boobs are testicles. They don't "withdraw" because there is muscle and a rib cage underneath and they are just mounds of fat and milk producing tissue. I feel like so many people here did not pay attention in health class. How can they be so clueless about the female body?

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#11

Male Authors Writing Women Are Actually Just Horror Stories And Here's Why

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#12

Ah Yes, Exactly How I'd Describe Myself (The Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson)

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What is the Female Gaze Theory?

The female gaze theory refers to the female point of view in the story that focuses on the realistic depiction of the characters rather than objectifying their bodies. Usually, when netizens say, “written by a woman,” they are talking about this realistic female gaze that gives depth to the character rather than their physical appearance.

#13

I'm Sorry, Her Breasts Do What

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Rowlie
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess the only breasts the author saw were trying to escape from him

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#14

She's Eleven And Scared But Let's Talk About Her Nipples

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#15

This Whole Book Has Both My Eyes And My Boobs Rolling

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#16

Be Horrified With The Rest Of Us

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Lord Mysticlaw
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men like Conde should not be surprised that sexy women love other women, and he really should try to help that male chauvinism.

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#19

Plz Put This On My Tombstone #submission (The Dogs, Scott Smith)

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#20

*me To My Friend* Excuse Me, May I Please Borrow Your Eyeballs?

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#21

She Was Flesh And Blood, Not The 2D Woman He Was Used To Objectifying On Television, And For That She Was All The More Special (A Time On Earth, Vihelm Moberg)

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#22

Literally No Woman Would Ever Do This (Misterioso, Arne Dahl)

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Lord Mysticlaw
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the first place this whole soaking thing sounds like a dishcloth, this guy obviously doesn't know how pads work. In the second place, pads stick to underwear, in my experience you don't just "fish them out", this guy obviously doesn't know how pads work. In the third place, of course the only possible rational reason why a woman would refuse sex is because she's on her period!, this guy is obviously an effing asshole.

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#23

Only Sluts Have Hairy Legs (The Things They Carried, Tim O'brien)

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

dry sounds like she just needs to use more lotion. dry skin is horribly itchy

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#25

Wish I Had Pillowy Breasts! Taken From Ben Fountain’s Brief Encounters With Che Guevara

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm more concerned by the fact he seems to routinely check out boys' butts and uses that as the benchmark of sexy.

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Lord Mysticlaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This guy does not know how breasts feel, and has a worrying interest in boys' buttocks and abs...

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Jo Choto
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love how the whole premise is that she exists for the pleasure of men, and if she is not pleasuring men, it's a waste. Wait, did I say I love? What I meant was, I want to make the author ingest their own book by force.

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pusheen buttercup
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Celibacy is a choice and your body type doesn't determine the value of that choice to you. Personally, I'm not, but any woman, voluptuous or otherwise, can do what they want. I wouldn't say it was a waste if some hot guy was celibate either. Hotness doesn't translate to sex drive or skill in the bedroom.

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Nicole Tomme
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"She looked just like the golf caddie if he shoved pillows up his shirt."

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Joanne Hudson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He kind of jumps around describing her; breasts, butt, abs (who brings golf balls to bed for sex), and her pretty face is down topping her "package"., I thought men had packages. Maybe she has a boys butt because ..... never mind.

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Taylor Bentley
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

BUTT OF A BOY LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

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Colleen Hindson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men who write love having a medium where they can have their fantasy woman, no matter how unreal she may be.

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Suzanne Mitchell-Klent
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was just talking with my wife about how I wish they made pillows that felt like breasts. About the closest thing we could come up with was a silicon/water breast implant hybrid, in an astronomically huge size, for I like a king sized pillow. We decided it would be too expensive and in the end would be an overpriced reproduction of a breast that would just fall short of the real thing. I stayed nestled just a little longer in her breasts before carrying on with our....uh...wrestling match.

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Trudi McLaren
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, if only I could find a man to bounce golf balls off my abs XD

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LSS
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the compact butt of a boy. What. The. F------------------CK????

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Ms.GB
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She had breasts that felt like...you know a bag of sand.

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WildBerry
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, he said they were 'pillowy'. My pillow is soft. Yours is a bag of sand?

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BananaAnna
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

High and pillowy breasts do not often reside together. Pillowy is the description for elder breasts, which tend to sag.

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Amaranthim Talon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

che was always aa f****d up zero- now we know why- sex-starved and clueless and not willing to admit he was gay, apparently, if he compares women to boys but doesn't act on it? I mean- can you imagine the recoil if he came out? sexist, homophobic communist s**t-hole.

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oddkiddo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So no one takes offense by the routinely mental undressing men do?

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AnInrovert
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, she had a ‘pillow like breasts’ and a ‘boy butt’. Nice.....

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May Be
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So this author finds the "compact butt of a boy" to be sexually desirable?

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*sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"As every man who'd undressed her mentally or otherwise would agree," Men, see... THIS is why women are scared of and find it hard to trust y'all. Don't take it personally. Your fellow men are causing this, it's not us.

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WildBerry
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What are you scared of? You don't undress anybody mentally ever? Pity.

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Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A very fizzy dizzy prickly boy butted and gold ball abs package of..well not what a real 'girl' really looks like.. really!!

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#26

The Rest Reads “Dad Is Looking Like He Made A Better Decision Every Year”. What?!?

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#27

This Is A Totally Anatomically Normal Thing For Breasts To Do #submission (We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Philip Dick)

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Lord Mysticlaw
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These male authors are making my breasts pulse with resentment. They're really pissed off.

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#28

#menwritingwomen No Wonder Some Of Them Think Our Breasts Stop Us From Doing Stuff If They Think We’re As Obsessed As They Are. We Can’t Get Away From Them. Oh Must Do This Important Thing But Wait!

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well this seems to reinforce every ugly stereotype of men being sex crazed horndogs

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#29

'the Shining', By Stephen King. Its Always Breasts

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Chez
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, this scene is where he is describing a woman who has been dead in a bath for however long (a ghost of her anyway). And when I read it it's actually made perfect sense in that context.

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Note: this post originally had 78 images. It’s been shortened to the top 29 images based on user votes.

Female Characters Are More Than Just Their Bodies

We understand your anger. It’s impossible to read the thread without getting infuriated about this poor depiction of women. You can take out your anger about these male writers and express yourself in the comments. After all, women are so much more than just their bodies. Share this not just with your fellow feminists but with other friends and family, too. It’s high time we call out these unfair depictions, don’t you think so?